Precision cross-bobbin machine



Jan.9, 1968 G. SAHM 3,362,651

PRECISION CROSS-BOBBIN MACHINE Filed June 17, 1965 Fig. 5

INVENTOR BY 62 g Gear-5 ul-m ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,362,651 PRECISION CROSS-BOBBIN MACHINE Georg Salim, 31 Reichensachserstrasse, Eschwege, Germany Filed June 17, 1965, Ser. No. 464,641 13 Claims. (Cl. 242-18) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This precision cross-bobbin machine has a rotatable spindle carrying a easing into which a thread is wound to form a thread bobbin or package. The thread to be wound on the bobbin is guided with the aid of a thread guide mounted for reciprocating movement in longitudinal direction along the surface of the bobbin. For this purpose the thread guide is mounted in a thread guide holder; and the thread guide holder is mounted on a table of the machine pivotally and rotatably to adjust the thread guide with respect to the spindle in accordance with different bobbin tapers. In order to compensate for the increase in diameter of the bobbin while it is being wound, the rotatable spindle carrying the bobbin and its casing is mounted on a frame which is supported swingably by said table.

The present invention relates to a precision cross bobbin machine with a thread guide moved by means of a slide, a bobbin spindle parallelly shiftable opposite to the thread guideway for compensating for the increasing bobbin diameter, and apparatus for the adjustment to an angle corresponding to the desired conicity of the bobbin between the axis of the bobbin spindle and the thread guideway.

In a known machine of this type the bobbin spindle is carried by a swinging member and is adjustable to different cone angles while the housing including the thread guide and its slide is fixed. The thread guide member, which drives the thread guide slide, is then arranged fixedly within the machine.

In this known machine, the bobbin spindle swing member, carrying also the apparatus for adjustment of the cone angle of the bobbin, is proportionately heavy and produces an undesirably large bobbin thrust. Also in this known machine it is not possible to obtain the ideal form of bobbin with plane front face. There result bobbins which have an indentation at the small end of the cone from which threads may loosen.

With other known machines the bobbin spindle is journaled fixedly; and the compensation of the thread guide with greater bobbin diameters takes place through the arrangement of the thread guide in a swinging damper or the whole thread guide apparatus is arranged in a swinging frame. In these constructions also, however, the regulation of the bobbin thrust is unfavorable because of the great masses. As a result for the production of conical bobbins, auxiliary apparatus is required in order to attain a to and fro guiding of the thread guide parallel to the bobbin surface.

The production of the ideal bobbin form is excellent with another known machine in which the thread guide apparatus is adjustable for cone angle with reference to the axis of the bobbin spindle and is movable on a linear slide for compensating for build-up in bobbin diameter. This construction causes, however, difficulties in the drive to the thread guide apparatus and requires especially crossing of the drive belts. Also, because of the mass of the slide with the thread guide apparatus, the regulation of the bobbin thrust is unfavourable and not sufficiently fine.

With the principles underlying the present invention 'ice described deficiencies of the known precision cross bobbin machines are avoided by driving the thread guide mechanism from a main shaft through a single or double universal joint, said thread guide mechanism which is arranged besides the bobbin including also the thread guide member producing the to and fro motion.

The weight of the apparatus serving for adjustment of the cone angle between the axis of the bobbin spindle and the thread guide mechanism in this construction is not unfavorable as regards the bobbin thrust, since the single or double universal joint is on the fixedly held thread guide mechanism. Also the drive of the fixedly held thread guide mechanism provides no difficulties. The use of a double universal joint has further advantage that the allowable tolerances are greater.

According to a preferred further embodiment of the invention the thread guide mechanism is journaled in a ball head rotatably and swingably as well as fixedly. This arrangement provides not only a preferred means for fixation of the desired cone angle (even for abnormal cone angles) but results in a further distinct advance. This is in that it is possible in novel manner to operate selectively in one and the same machine by means of a contacting thread guide or by means of an offset thread guide and thrust roller, or to transport the thread only through a roller which contacts the bobbin in the tangent perpendicular to the swinging motion.

When operating with the contiguous thread guide, the thread guide contacts the bobbin in the tangent perpendicular to the swinging motion. The contact thread guide finds use for hard bobbins of stable material as, for example, sewing cotton, etc.

In operating with an offset thread guide, the thread guide has a certain offset from the bobbin, and between the to and fro moving thread guide and the bobbin there is positioned a thrust roller. This method of winding is preferred for soft diamond winding of fine material.

The above-mentioned position of the thread guide mechanism in a ball head makes it possible to position the thread guide by rotation of the thread guide mechanism either to tangential contact with the bobbin or to a selected offset from the bobbin, whereby then the thrust roller is laid against the bobbin. This advantage exists not only with machines whose bobbin spindles are disposed on a swinging frame but also in machines where the bobbin spindle is moved in parallel fashion by means of a slide.

With the machines operating with a bobbin spindle swinging frame, the positioning of the bobbin guide mechanism by means of a ball head permits of compensation for the fact that because of the advance by the swinging frame of the bobbin spindle in circular path, there is no complete line contact of the thrust roller, which is positioned at the center, with the generating line of the bobbin. Such a linear contact is attained if the spindle is advanced linearly. The positioning of the thread guide mechanism by the ball head makes it possible to so adjust the thread guide mechanism that at a mean bobbin diameter an exact parallel between the thrust roller and the surface of the bobbin is attained. At the beginning of the winding the thrust roller contacts then the small diameter of the bobbin and after complete winding the thrust roller contacts at the larger diameter.

With conical winding with continuous change of the thread winding speed from the large to the small bobbin diameter and thereby also continuous change of the thread tension the sliding of the thrust roller is imparted non-uniformly to the bobbin. At large diameters the peripheral speed of the thrust roller is somewhat smaller than the circumferential speed of the bobbin, at the small diameter on the contrary it is still faster whereby the bobbin at small diameter is smoother if it is not brittle. This is especially undesirable for extremely weak colored bobbins and weak bobbins for compressed yarns or false filaments (Helanca) and also for the new superfine monofilamentary material under eleven denier. These disadvantages can be compensated for by the choice, made possible by the invention, of the position of the thrust rollers with reference to the bobbin. Heretofore, conical thrust rollers had to be used for this purpose, whose conicity naturally however was only capable of rendering uniform slippage for a determined bobbin diameter, or through a corresponding arrangement of a thread guide the thread path was shortened at the large bobbin diameter and lengthened simultaneously at the small diameter. These and other auxiliary apparatus were not sufiicient, however, for the above-mentioned requirements.

According to a preferable modification of the invention, the arrangement is made that the thrust roller in the thread guide mechanism is adjustable through eccentric positioning parallel or non-parallel to the thread guide axis. This arrangement serves to change the distance between the thread guide [and the thrust roller according to necessity, and to adjust the thread guide and the thrust roller with reference to one another so that the thread guide is moved approximately parallel to the generatrix of the bobbin. Also by means of this apparatus an additional regulation for adjustment in the ball head can be provided.

One embodiment of the invention is described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a machine made according to this embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view, partially in section, of this machine;

FIG. 3 illustrates the use of contacting thread guide;

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the eccentric bearing for the thrust roller employed in the machine; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of this thrust roller and its mounting.

Referring now to the drawing by numerals of reference, the precision cross bobbin machine has a machine table 1 on which there are journaled by means of pillow blocks 3 and 5 a swinging frame 7 for a bobbin spindle 9, and by means of a pillow block 11 a thread guide appa- Iatus 13.

For supporting the swinging frame 7 a tube 15 extends between the pillow blocks 3 and 5. This tube is held fixedly in the pillow blocks 3 and 5 by means of bearings 17 and 19. The frame 7 is supported on the tube 15 'by means of roller bearings 21 and 23. Struts or arms 29 and 31 project from each of the outer races 25 and 27 of these hearings in essentially radial direction. Fastened on the outer ends of the arms 29 is a tube 31 in which the bobbin spindle shaft 9 is journaled by means of roller bearings 33 and 35.

The swinging frame is held against axial movement on the tube 15 by a clamping ring 37 which holds the outer race 25 of the one roller bearing 23 against the pillow block 5. The outer race 27 of roller bearing 21 seats on a part of the tube 15 which extends forwardly over the machine table and is fixed to a disc 39 from which a counterweight lever 41 for the bobbin spindle frame extends. A cable 45 winds around the forwardly-extending part of the disc 39. A weight 47 depends from this cable for constant bobbin pressure.

The thread guide apparatus 13 is supported on the pillow block 11 by means of a ball head 53 and can thus be rotated and swung at will. The ball head is contained between upper and lower semi-spherical bearing sockets. Flanges 57, '59, 61, 63 (FIG. 1) extend from opposed sides of these sockets (FIG. 1); and the sockets can be drawn toward one another by screws, indicated only by dash lines 65 and 67, in order to fixedly clamp the ball head and so fix the thread guide mechanism in a desired position.

The ball head 53 is hollow and contains two schematically-indicated universal joints 69 and 71 which connect main shaft 77, which is journaled on the machine table by ball bearings 73 and 75, with a thread guide member 79 journaled in the thread guide device 13.

The thread guide member, of which only the end extending out of the thread guide device 13 is to be seen, is for example a drumlike shaft with a helical reversing cam groove which moves to and fro in the thread guide mechanism a thread guide slide, that carries the thread guide 81.

The thread guide member and the thread guide slide require no further illustration since they are known in themselves. The thread guide device 13 carries in known manner a thrust roller 82, which is journaled at its ends eccentrically in rotary bodies 85, by means of rotatable pins 83. The rotary bodies rest in rotary bearings 87 fastened to the thread guide device, and can be fixed therein in a not further illustrated manner.

The drive of the machine is by means of a toothed belt drive 91 arranged behind a guard cover 89. The main shaft 77 carries at its rear a grooved pulley 93 which is disposed behind the guard. This pulley is driven by an electric motor 94 which carries a pulley 96 accommodating a driving belt 98 extending to pulley 93. Parallel to the grooved pulley 93 there is fastened on the main shaft a toothed sprocket 95. This drives through a belt 97 and a sprocket 99 a countershaft 101 which is journaled in the tube 15 by means of ball bearings 103 and 105. Parallel to the sprocket 99 there is fastened on the countershaft 101 a sprocket 107 which drives through a toothed belt 109 a toother sprocket 111 on the rear end of the bobbin spindle shaft 9.

This arrangement makes possible swinging of the bobbin frame about the tube 15 without influencing the drive to the bobbin spindle 9. The guard 89 has an arcuate slot through which the bobbin spindle shaft 9 extends. This slots gives the bobbin spindle shaft the necessary freedom of movement. This slot is covered by a sheet 113 fastened on the swinging frame to protect the mechanism against dust.

The guard 89 carries in the limits of motion of the swinging frame 7 a scale 115 for indicating the bobbin diameter. Besides this there is on the guard in the limits of movement of the swinging frame a microswitch 117 whose position is adjustable so that it can disconnect the drive of the machine by striking against the swinging frame upon attainment of the desired bobbin diameter.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

When a bobbin is to be wound, the inner casing of the bobbin 51 is chucked fixedly by means of the chucking mechanism 119 which is changeable for different sizes of casings. The operating lever for the chucking mechanism is indicated at 121. Then there is fastened a proper thread guide mechanism on the ball head 53. The fastening takes place by apparatus not illustrated which makes possible the transmission of power from the main shaft to the universal joints 69, 71 on the thread guide member.

Then the thread guide mechanism is so adjusted by rotation and swing that the thrust roller 82 attains the desired position with reference to the surface of the bob bin 51. If the position is so assumed that the periphery of the thrust roller 82 and the periphery of the bobbin at the beginning of the winding process (thus at the smallest diameter of the bobbin) contact one another rectilinearly in a plane laid through the center points of the bobbin and the thrust roller, the position changes with further build-up of the bobbin diameter in such manner that the thrust roller only presses with its one end on the larger cone diameter of the bobbin and with its other end is free in air. Thus the bobbin spindle, because of its position on a swinging frame, is moved away from the thrust roller not in a straight line in the known plane but in a circular path. It will thus be raised somewhat in reference to the named plane so that the thrust roller no longer contacts the same line of the bobbin as at the beginning but contacts a line lying somewhat below this. This contact line is, however, on account of the conical bobbin form, not

7 parallel with the original contact line.

The described change of position between the bobbin and the thrust roller causes a non-uniform winding and is therefore undesirable. In order to eliminate the error, the thrust roller first is adjusted for the smallest bobbin diameter to such a position with reference to the bobbin surface that the thrust roller only contacts at its small cone diameter on the bobbin. When the bobbin then attains a mean diameter the bobbin surface and thrust roller contact tangentially rectilinearly with one another; and with greater bobbin diameter the thrust roller contacts only the larger cone diameter of the bobbin. The exact position of the thrust roller with reference to the bobbin is ascertained by test. If the thrust roller through rotation and swinging of the thread guide mechanism 13 has been adjusted in the ball head 53 to the desired position with reference to the bobbin, then the screws 65 and 67 are drawn fast so that the ball head is clamped fixedly. As above mentioned the generating lines on the periphery of the bobbin are not parallel but extend at an angle with reference to one another on different levels. Since the thread carrier faces another line of the bobbin than the thrust roller, it is necessary for parallel guidance of the thread guide with respect to its corresponding generating line that one be able to adjust a positive angle between the path of the thread guide and the thrust roller. For this purpose the eccentric bearing of the thrust roller in the rotary housing 85 is provided. This bearing also allows regulation of the offset or distance between the thread guide and the thrust roller and is especially of advantage where the thrust roller is positioned above the swinging radius of the bobbin whereas the offset thread guide is adjusted to the same offset, as the thrust roller, from the swinging radius to the other side. If bobbins of of greater diameter are to be wound then in the manner illustrated in dash lines in FIG. 1 the pillow block 3 is withdrawn to another position and works with a larger swinging frame. The apparatus for displacing and fastening the pillow block on the machine table 1 for reasons of simplicity is not further illustrated. It may comprise a screw-shaft 120 which threads into a nut secured to table 1. Shaft 120 may have a hex head at its outer end and be rotated by a conventional wrench.

Should the machine be operated with a contacting thread guide, instead of the offset thread guide and the thrust roller, then the thread guide mechanism 13 will, as illustrated in FIG. 3, be so turned that the thread guide comes in the desired tangential position to the bobbin surface.

Also here the free swingability of the thread guide makes possible an adjustment of the thread carrier into a center position so that it moves at a mean bobbin diameter exactly to a tangential position lying in a plane with the bobbin spindle axis.

It still should be mentioned further that the change of the closed thread guide mechanism into proximity to the bobbin also amounts to saving in the to and fro moving masses.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a precision cross-bobbin machine having a table, a rotatable spindle, to which a bobbin is removably securable, means swingably mounting said spindle on said table to compensate for increasing bobbin diameter, a thread guide holder, a thread guide which is reciprocable in said holder, and means for reciprocating said guide, means for mounting said holder on said table pivotally and rotatably to adjust the thread guide with reference to said spindle in accordance with different bobbin tapers, means for rotating said spindle, and means for simultaneously driving said means for reciprocating said guide.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving means comprises a shaft journaled on said table parallel to said spindle, and a linkage connecting said shaft to said thread guide in any adjusted position of said holder, and having means for driving said spindle simultaneously with said shaft.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for mounting said holder includes a ball head for its pivotal and rotatable adjustment, and said ball head is mounted in a complementary ball socket on said table.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for mounting said holder includes a ball head for its pivotal and rotatable adjustment, and said ball head is mounted in a complementary ball socket on said table.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for swingably mounting said bobbin spindle on said table includes a frame which is mounted on said table for swinging movement about an axis parallel to the axis of said spindle.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for swingably mounting said bobbin spindle on said table includes a frame which is mounted on said table for swinging movement about an axis parallel to the axis of said spindle.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for swingably mounting said bobbin spindle on said table includes a frame which is mounted on said table for swinging movement about an axis parallel to the axis of said spindle.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thrust roller is journaled on said holder for angular adjustment about an axis offset from its axis of rotation, and said holder is adjustable to contact the roller with a bob-bin carried by said spindle.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein a thrust roller is journaled on said holder for angular adjustment about on axis offset from its axis of rotation, and said holder is adjustable to contact the roller with a bobbin carried by said spindle.

10. A machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein a thrust roller is journaled on said holder for angular adjustment about an axis offset from its axis of rotation, and said holder is adjustable to contact the roller with a bobbin carried by said spindle.

11. A machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said swinging frame is mounted on pillow blocks that are adjustable on said table toward and from said shaft.

12. A machine as claimed in claim 6, in which said drive shaft is driven by an electric motor, and a limit switch is positioned on said table to be contacted by the bobbin, when the bobbin has been wound to a desired diameter, to stop said motor.

13. In a precision cross-bobbin machine, a table, a tube mounted on said table, a first shaft journaled in said tube, a swinging frame comprising a pair of arms spaced axially of said first shaft and journaled on said tube for swinging motion about the axis of said first shaft, a tube carried by the free ends of said arms, a spindle journaled in said tube with its axis parallel to the axis of said first shaft, said spindle being adapted to carry a bobbin, a second shaft mounted on said table for rota tion about an axis parallel to the axis of said first shaft, a thread guide holder, a ball head secured to said holder and a socket on said table in which said ball head is mounted to support said holder for rotary and angular adjustment with reference to said spindle, means including an electric motor for driving said second shaft, gearing for driving said first shaft from said second shaft, gearing for driving said spindle from said first shaft, a thread guide mounted on said holder for reciprocation relative thereto, a thrust roller mounted on said holder for adjustment about an axis parallel to its oWn axis to adjust said roller into and out of contact with a bobbin carried by said spindle, a linkage in said ball head connecting said second shaft with said thread guide to effect reciprocation of said thread guide upon rotation of said second shaft, and a microswitch positioned on said table in position to be engaged by the bobbin, when a desired diameter is reached, to stop said motor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,116,410 5/1938 Parks 24218 2,328,344 8/1943 Jones 242-43 X 2,965,322 12/1960 Wiering 242-18 3,073,537 1/1963 Mackie 242-18 10 3,281,086 10/1966 Goodman et a1. 24218 STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner. 

